


The Broken Road

by fortheloveoffanfic



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Canon, Angst, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fanfiction, Flashbacks, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Grief, Hidden Feelings, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Mentions of Violence, Post-Canon, Pregnancy, Protective Sam Winchester, References to Supernatural (TV), Romance, Sam Winchester Angst, Sam Winchester Fluff, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Smut, Smut (at some point), Spn fandom, Supernatural - Freeform, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Tension, Unplanned Pregnancy, past Dean Winchester/OFC, relationship, sam winchester au, sam winchester fanifc, spn fanfiction, supernatural fanifc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:41:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29663970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortheloveoffanfic/pseuds/fortheloveoffanfic
Summary: An Au where after his death, Dean leaves behind his fiancée, Lacey and their unborn child. Lost without him and unsure of where their lives go next, Sam and Lacey set out on the road together, leaving the bunker behind them. Though, as time passes, the first flames of a slow burn is ignited and two friends must decide if they've gone too far in finding comfort in each other.
Relationships: Dean Winchester/OFC, Sam Winchester/ OFC
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Just a girl writing a thing with very little direction. This is just and idea that I couldn't shake and its my very first time writing for Supernatural after being in the fandom for quite a while.  
> *I don't own any of the characters mentioned, with the exception of my OFC Lacey Patterson.  
> 

The bunker was eerily quiet as she pushed the door open and there was a heaviness in the air that caused dread to plume in the pit of her stomach. Baby was parked in the garage, so they had to be there, Dean never left with his beloved Impala, yet, something felt…. _.amiss_. “Dean? Sam?” Lacey called as she slowly descended the metal stairs, her hand maintaining a loose grip on the cool railing.

As she reached the bottom, with her free hand splayed absently on her stomach, Lacey called out again, desperately hoping that the worry gnawing at her would be remedied by one of the brothers responding. But it didn’t happen and instead, a soft rustling was followed up by a furry head poking out from around the corner. _Well that was strange. How long had she been gone?_

“Hey sweetie,” Lacey bent over as the dog, a fluffy little thing, approached her wearily, hesitating. “Who are you? And where’s Sam and Dean?” Threading her fingers through the dog's soft fur, Lacey smiled absently, succumbing to kneeling on the floor, her jeans protecting her knees from the cold ground.

“Lacey,” at her name being gasped by a familiar baritone, she lifted her head, only to be greeted by Sam’s sullen expression, “I didn’t know you were back already.”

“I just came in,” she smiled softly, not really registering that Sam didn’t return her expression as she continued playing with the dog, “How long have I been...…" She thought on her words, trying to find the perfect word to encapsulate being snapped out of existence by an all powerful being, "Gone? And since when do we have a dog?”

“That’s Miracle,” he offered stiffly, opting to not dwell on the matter. “Lace,” he huffed her nickname, approaching slowly, clearing his throat, “I know you just got in, but we need to-”

“Hey, where’s Dean?” She stood carelessly cutting him off, her features brightening at the mention of his name, “I know you guys are probably celebrating Chuck’s being gone, but I have something really important to tell him.” Lacey’s smile was bright and she was itching to give Dean the news she’d gotten after spending a couple days with Jodie after being willed back into, _well, re-existence_ , presumably by Jack. Everything was seemingly falling into place and finally, they’d be able to live normal lives.

“Lacey,” when Sam didn’t return her excitement, instead dropping his shoulders, she swallowed thickly, the fear that something was wrong returning with haste, turning her stomach, “We really need to talk. Maybe we should sit,” he gestured to the chairs off to the side.

“Why?” Dragging her lower lip through her teeth, Lacey folded her arms across her chest defensively, “If you have something to say, then just say it Sam. I’m a big girl, I don’t need you to-”

“Dean’s gone,” he blurted out, cutting her off and stopping at his very brief explanation to gauge her reaction.

A thousand things bounced around in her head at once and Lacey’s breath caught in her throat as Sam’s words broke the air. _Dean’s gone. Gone? No, that couldn’t be right. Dean couldn’t be gone._ “Gone where? What the hell are you talking about? He left or- or,” stuttering, Lacey could feel her heart beating so fast that it might bound out of her chest and leave her for dead. Deep down, she knew it was worse than she'd been trying to convince herself, but she had to try. _She had to hope_. “Where’d he go?” _How could he leave? Dean couldn’t leave. The deal was that they’d get married after everything was over. He’d proposed, he’d promised._

“Lace,” the pained expression tugged at Sam’s features as he reached for her shoulders in a bid to steady her as she shook, a mix of fear and disbelief overwhelming her, “He’s gone.” There was a finality in the word, one that acted as a fist clenched around her heart, crushing it as she processed what Sam really meant, “I’m so sorry,” eliciting a sob, he pulled her into his broad chest and Lacey’s eyes went glassy and wide as her frame went limp, slumping against him.

Her lips quivered and slow, unchecked tears rolled past her thick lashes streaking her paled cheeks. Every moment she’d ever spent with Dean played like they were on a roll of film, the memories cast on a projector before her blank stare and all she could say as her throat went dry was; “No….no...that can't be true.” And when Sam didn’t respond as she crumpled to the ground, with only his body as support, Lacey sobbed loudly, “Don’t lie to me Sam.” For a fleeting moment, she tried to push him away, but her efforts were fruitless and he tightened his embrace, cradling her as she sobbed uncontrollably.

They stayed like that for a while, tears mixing as acid burnt their throats until Lacey finally recalled what she’d been so very excited to tell Dean, “He can’t…..” she whimpered pitifully, feeling like her insides were being shredded as she tried to process the news, “There’s so much he doesn’t know,” she blubbered into Sam’s neck.

When he pulled back, Lacey could see her agony reflected in his eyes and it just ached her more. Gingerly, Sam swept some hair from her reddened, tear stained cheeks, not really taking in her last words, “We have to um….” _Even saying it was a struggle._ They had to salt and burn his big brother, her fiancée. “We have to……" he shuddered as quiet tears continued down his cheeks, "Jodie texted me and said you were coming back, so I waited.”

Glancing away, Lacey blinked rapidly, desperately trying to clear her vision as her fading rationality grasped at straws. _They always came back._ “What are you talking about? He's gonna come back, he always comes back. Jack wouldn’t let him……he wouldn’t….”

“Not this time,” Same choked out, “This is what he wanted. He accepted it. I know it’s hard, it’s hard for me too, but he’s not coming back, Lacey.”

A fresh set of tears pricked at her eyes, “No, he can’t,” she bemoaned, “Sam,” she gasped for breath as the gravity of Dean’s death weighed down on her, “I’m pregnant.”

*******

The orange flames lapped at them as they consumed the body wrapped in white, the body of the man she loved, the father of her unborn child and pain pulling at her breaking heart was a kind that Lacey had never felt, though she supposed that it was because she’d never loved someone as much as she’d loved Dean, _in the way she still loved him._

They’d said a few words each, keeping things just between them; shared a couple memories about Dean, tried to smile through the tears. Before Sam had lit the match, Lacey had turned to him, _Dean_ , and told him that even if he was gone, she knew he’d have made an amazing father, well she had tried too, not even able to finish the sentence before breaking down again. And then, as Sam had started the flame, her gaze fell to her left hand, where a simple, thin gold ring sat. The diamond was small and the metal had lost its shine. It had once been Mary’s, until the day Dean had pulled it out of his pocket in a haste, proposing to her right in the center of a parking lot right, when they were in the midst of trying to figure out how to get rid of Chuck. Not being the type, he hadn’t gotten down on one knee but he did hold her close, slipping in onto her finger as he told that as soon as the world was made right, he would let Lacey make an honest man of him. 

But as Lacey stood there, her future going up in flames, she knew it was never going to happen and the ring that Dean had given her in an act of pouring all his hope into growing old with her, she found that it had turned into nothing more than a symbol of what she would never have. _Of everything she’d lost._

At some point, Sam draped an arm around her slender shoulders, tucking her to his side and Lacey willingly hugged his waist and buried her face in his flannel, hoping that if she closed her eyes tight enough, she could open them again and find that it was all just a bad dream. That she’d wake up, maybe some time in a couple weeks and Dean would be snoring next to her, trying to snuggle her closer so she wouldn’t leave him with only the pillows as company. 

“Tell me its not real,” she mumbled against Sam’s wrinkled shirt, waiting for him to respond so she could wake up for their shared nightmare. But the confirmation she’d been begging for never came, and instead, like he had before, Sam just hugged her tighter, probably feeling the final pieces of himself shatter as he started sobbing with her once again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Lacey set out on their first hunt since Dean's death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a little slow right now, but it'll pick up soon.

She was sitting shotgun with her legs curled under her, slumped against the passenger door looking absently out the window as the drove along streets lined with overgrown foliage. They were supposed to be following a case a couple towns over, well, Sam was following the case. Lacey had tagged along upon realizing that it was time to put the bunker behind them. There were too many memories after all and Sam had been grateful that she’d given into coming with him instead of going out there on her own. At least then he could keep an eye on her, take care of her and the child she was carrying.

Lacey hadn’t spoken much since they’d burned Dean’s body, and that had been going on just over a week now. In fact, Sam thought he could count all the words she’d said on one hand in that time and while he was grieving for his brother too, he was really worried for her. She seemed stuck, empty, as if she were just going through the motions because there was nothing else to do, barely eating and if the bags around her eyes were any indication, she wasn’t sleeping either. Instead, most of the time before they left, she’d spent in a formerly unused bedroom and when Sam had brought up leaving, she had just packed up a couple duffle bags and met him in the war room dressed lazily in one of Dean’s shirts and a pair of leggings.

Miracle was sitting comfortably in the backseat of the Impala, probably sensing the dreariness of the pair and just opting to lay her head on her front paws, occasionally meeting Sam’s eyes when he’d glance at her in the rearview mirror. 

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Sam broached gently, sparing Lacey a brief look when she didn’t react, “You need to see a doctor, about the baby. And we can drive up to Sioux Falls after the case, take you to the hospital that Alex works at so they can,” maintaining one hand on the wheel, Sam gestured with the other, “Do a check up, see if everything’s alright.” 

He waited for her to answer, hoping she would, but she didn’t. Instead, Lacey barely even shifted, her head lolled against the window and her arms hugging herself, her frame almost swallowed up by his brother’s shirt. Sighing, Sam chewed on his lip and he couldn’t help but think that Dean would know how to get her to open up, he always know exactly what to do when Lacey was upset. With everyone else, he’d always been less than the best of offering comfort, but with her, it was like he had some special skill. One that right then, Sam wished he had had, because he knew that if ever Lacey had needed Dean the most, it was right when she couldn’t have him. 

Eventually, a service station came into view and knowing that they might not meet with another for quite a bit, Sam pulled in, parking at a free pump, letting Lacey know that he was going to pay and trying to find out if she wanted anything from the little store on the same compound. He waited for a minute, one foot out the door, eyes once again hopeful, dimming significantly when she didn’t even look his way, shaking her head in an unspoken _‘no’_. 

As he shut the door behind himself, Sam threw Lacey a couple of backwards glances as he made his way to the store to pay for the gas and to grab a couple of things for the rest of the way. Walking through the tiny, slightly run down convenience store, his hand hovered over his pocket, debating on whether or not he should give Jodie a call; she would know what to do, and even if she didn’t, surly she’d have some of her signature words of wisdom that could help him to help Lacey. But just then, right as he was about to get his phone out, he walked past the line of refrigerators, his gaze unintentionally falling on the shelf lined with his Dean’s preferred beer and his face fell. For a moment, it was like the pain was fresh again, and that was when he realized that _it_ _was still fresh_. Dean had only been gone a week. Sam didn’t even think he’d fully come to terms with yet, and he was pretty sure that Lacey was going through the same thing. Then throw in the fact that she’d never gotten to say goodbye and that she was carrying in his child, she didn’t need a solution, or for Sam to fix her. She needed him to be there. And he could do that, stick by her, through the silence and all. Up until then, he’d been walking blindly through the situation, but finally he had some vague sense of what do and he knew exactly how to do it. 

Sucking in a breath and trying to swallow down the heartache, Sam walked past the fridge hurriedly moving on to grabbing a couple things before paying at the register and heading out to fill up the tank. 

When he ducked back into the car, Lacey was right where he’d left her, huddled in the corner, by then with her hand tucked to her stomach, her thumb tracing absent circles into the shirt. “Hey,” he settled in, “They had your favorite, so I got you some,” fishing around the flimsy plastic bag until he produced a packet of chocolate coated cranberries. The relief when she finally turned to him relaxed his shoulders and it wasn’t until he actually held the little packet out to her did she take it, offering him the faintest hint of a smile, the first one he’d seen from her since he’d met her in the bunker upon her return.

*******

The sky had just started taking on a dark greyish blue when Sam and Lacey were finally walking slowly towards a motel room with Miracle sniffing around a couple feet ahead. It had taken a couple tries to find an establishment that would accommodate pets, and when they did finally find out, there were only two rooms left; one with two beds and another with just one. So naturally, they took the one with two.

Sam had insisted on taking most of the bags, and much too lethargic and off in her own world to object properly, Lacey had barely protested. Their steps were in sync, though they walked with a bit of space between them. The silence hung heavily, like a barrier between and while he longed to say something to fill the void, Sam just didn’t know what. He knew it wasn't near possible to make it better, that would come with time, but he did wish he could make it more bearable, for both of them. But everything was just so messed up and at times, when he let himself dwell, he couldn’t help but feel that the world that they’d all helped fixed was now totally against them. 

Upon finally reaching the room, Sam slipped the keycard in, letting Lacey and Miracle in first, giving the walkway a once over before getting in behind them, only to find Lacey standing awkwardly in the center, their four legged friend already sweeping the room for anything suspicious. Her eyes were shifting between both beds with her brows furrowed, the expression was a mixture of pain and subtle confusion. He knew what she was thinking; since Dean and Lacey had gotten together, about six years before, they’d taken to always getting their own room and sleeping in a bed next to Sam was foreign to her. _Even in his passing she was loyal to his brother._

“I can go back to the front desk and book the other one,” Sam suggested hastily, not wanting her to be more uncomfortable than necessary. Obviously, he would have much preferred to tough it out and share the room, just so he could make sure she was okay, but if it wasn’t what she wanted, then he’d make do. 

“No,” the word left her lips so quickly that it had Sam snapping his head towards Lacey in surprise. “No,” she repeated, clearing her throat, “We can share it, I’ll take this one,” she claimed the bed nearest to the bathroom, unceremoniously dropping the bag on the made surface and huffing quietly.

“Great,” Sam nodded, dropping his things on the bed nearest to the front door, standing there and looking at Lacey for a moment longer before turning away, quietly relieved that he’d managed to get a few words out of her.

*******

He wasn’t sure what had woke him, if it was the dog’s soft snores, the rustling of the trees outside or the vivid dream he’d been having, but in an instant his eyes were snapping open and Sam was wide awake. It took a moment before he could properly register his surroundings and come back to reality. Miracle sleeping near his shoes, the street lamp letting a soft glow filter in through thin curtains and Lacey sleeping in the bed next to him.

_Lacey sleeping in the bed next to him._

That was it, that was why he’d woken up. Not really because she was sleeping in the next bed, but more so because she wasn’t actually sleeping. The sounds were muffled by the duvet pulled over her head and her face, at least as far as he could tell in the darkness, was pressed into the pillow. She was curled up pretty tightly too, but he knew for sure that she was crying. “Lace?” He turned on his side, and from the moment he called out her, she went silent, “Lace, I know you’re awake.”

“What do you want?” She whispered lowly and he remembered something that Dean had mentioned in passing; _she always whispered in the dark._

“Are you okay?” It was a stupid question in retrospect, he wasn’t very okay himself, but nothing else fit right in the moment and he longed for her to finally open up, so they could find some middle ground and start healing together. 

It took a while and he could hear her shifting around in the bed before admitting meekly; “No. I miss him Sam, I want him back.”

Tears stung his eyes and he clenched his jaw, thinking on her words before concurring. “I know, I want him back too.”

“Its not fair,” Lacey continued solemnly, sniffling, “Everything he’s wanted, a life with not strings, for us to be able to settle down. We can finally have that, and he’d just gone. He’s gone, and I don't know what to do. What do we do?”

Worrying on his lip, Sam sat up in bed, running tired hand through his disheveled mane, sighing heavily. _What were they supposed to do? Continue hunting? Would Lacey want to leave now that she had a baby on the way? Would he go back to Eileen, maybe try to get out himself?_ Everything he could think of seemed incomplete somehow, there was no breakeven or right way to do anything. It was all guess work, day by day living and hoping the pain lessened.

"I don't know," Sam eventually determined, "I guess…….we just keep doing what we always do, bland figure it out as we go." For a while, Lacey met his words with silence and Sam wished he could say something that would make it better for her, but as usual, nothing seemed right so they stayed silent, the exchange dragging on until one of them succumbed to a restless slumber. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A truth that Sam has been hiding comes to light. Warnings- Angst

_Fortuna had just given the guys the luck they needed to defeat Chuck, along with some sage words of wisdom and Lacey could see the shift in Dean’s demeanor. It was good to see him feel good about where things were going for a change, though, she still couldn't help her own thoughts nagging at her, the same ones that had pestered her mind since they’d left Garth’s. She wanted more, but what if Dead didn’t?_

_He’d always talked about retiring, probably on a beach with their makeshift family and gorgeous sunsets every evening, but could he want **more**? Marriage, kids of their own? There was no doubt in her mind that Lacey wanted all of it, and her position had only been cemented after spending some time with Garth’s family, but she needed to know if Dean felt the same. She’d heard his stories about living with Lisa and Ben, how he’d tried the all American apple pie life, and how quickly it had crumbled. There was an always undeniable pain in his tone when he spoke of them, and he was repellant to reliving the situation, which begged the question; would he try with her? _

_“Still off in your own world, huh?” Dean’s familiar, gruff voice broke her thoughts and Lacey didn’t think before turning to face him, painting on a smile so he wouldn’t think that something was wrong. “Come ‘ere babygirl,” he pulled her in, hugging her close, “We got our luck back,” he kissed the side of her hair and Lacey closed her eyes as she melded into his embrace. Reciprocating his affection, she smoothed her hands affectionately up and down his back, trying to push her worries away. “Maybe now I'll be lucky enough for you to tell me what’s got you so down these days.”_

_"What?” Lacey knitted her brows as she reared back a bit, feigning confusion, "What are you talking about? I’m fine.”_

_“Eh, nice try. But you’ve been different since we left Garth’s and I think I might know what's going on, but I just wanted to be sure,” Dean shrugged, taking one hand of her hips to rummage through his jacket pocket, “But since you won’t tell me, I guess I’ll just give this a go,” from his pocket, Dean produced a simple engagement ring, one she’d seen him keep in a little box of trinkets in Baby’s glove compartment. “What do you say sweetheart, marry me when this is over?”_

_"Dean,” Lacey scoffed a giggle, looking at the ring held between them, the small stone glittering in the noon sunlight, “Are you being serious right now?”_

_“Am I being serious?” He huffed teasingly, “Of course I’m being serious. Say you’ll marry me baby.”_

_Lifting a hand to cup his cheek and gazing into his gorgeous pools of green, Lacey felt a warm flutter in her chest and she had to restrain herself from just blurting on her response. “Dean, I don’t want you to do this because you think it’s I want, I-”_

_Shaking his head, Dean cut her off with a kiss, “No, it’s nothing like that, I’m doing this for us, because when I think of our future, I think of you as my wife. I'm just hoping you see me as your husband.”_

_Lacey could tell Dean was holding his breath for her answer and she licked her lips before nodding vigorously, “Of course I do," she laughed excitedly. "Let’s get married!” She squealed._

_Slipping the ring on to her finger, and barely taking a moment to recognize that it was a perfect fit, Dean bent forward catching Lacey’s plump, bare lips in a deep kiss. His tongue swirled around hers and he lifted her off the ground and spun them in a circle. A kiss had never tasted sweeter and Lacey was positive that she wouldn’t mind spending the rest of her life right in that moment, basking in their happiness, with her arms looped around Dean’s neck and her legs kicking behind her excitedly. No dream, no level of perfection had ever seemed closer. It didn’t matter what stood between them and freedom, all she knew was that freedom meant spending the rest of her life as Dean Winchester’s wife._

_Upon setting her down, though still tucking Lacey close, Dean turned to his brother, who’d been looking on with a wide grin, “Hear that Sammy? She says she’s gonna marry me!”_

_“Yeah, I heard that,” he chuckled, drawing closer to giving them both a hug, “Congratulations you two.”_

_They both thanked him quietly, and then, when Sam broke away, rounding the car to get in on the other side, Lacey and Dean lingered a couple feet away for a moment more, nuzzling her hair before saying quietly, “I love you.”_

_Shifting slightly to meet his gaze again, Lacey hugged his waist tightly, feeling happy tears prod at her dark eyes, “I love you too.”_

*******

The dream had been enough to startle her awake and Lacey’s chest was dominated by heavy breaths as a different kind of tears rolled down her cheeks, hot on her skin. Swiping at her eyes, she dragged her hands over her face and then through her hair as consciousness chased the remnants of the dream away. Huffing quietly, she proceeded to plant her elbows on the table she’d fallen asleep at in her and Sam’s motel room, the surface cluttered with her laptop, a notepad along with several open lore books. 

A quick glance at her cellphone, formerly covered by one of the face down books, proved that it was nearing seven pm and that Sam would probably be back soon. “Great,” Lacey sighed heavily, pawing around for her notes. She was _supposed_ to be using what little information they already had to try to find out what they were dealing with, but instead, she’d spent the past two hours asleep and unproductive. 

The room had grown a bit darker than it was before Lacey had put her head down, and as she stood, she groaned at the stiffness in her back and neck, trying to stretch it out as she made her way to flick on the lights. On her way back afterwards, Lacey paused for a minute to scratch Miracle's head, letting a fond smile break through as the dog nuzzled her hand, urging her with pleading whines to continue for a little longer, so naturally, she did; _she’d always wanted a dog._

Just then, Lacey heard the knob jiggle around before Sam pushed the door open, his hair tousled from the wind, his tie loosened and with a couple brown paper bags, presumably from some diner or the other, in hand. “Hey,” he nodded, smiling faintly at the sight of her sitting on the floor and playing with Miracle.

“Hey,” Lacey’s own smile faltered, an unnerving bout of guilt washing over her, convincing her that she had no right even the slightest bit of joy so soon after losing someone so dear. “Learn anything new?” She stood, rubbing her hands hastily over the thighs of her worn, faded blue jeans, her eyes following him as he moved to set the bags down on a free spot on the table. 

“Not really,” Sam started shrugging off his navy colored long coat, draping it on the back of one of the chairs, his suit jacket following soon after, “Cassie Langford’s mother says that she usually comes straight home from work at the library, it's usually late, but it's just a fifteen minute walk,” collapsing into the chair he’d draped coat on, Sam wearily threaded his hands through his hair, “The cops weren’t much help either, before the three victims this past month the towns been pretty quiet, no prior kidnappings. And the victims aren’t even connected; a college dropout, a gardener and kindergarten teacher, and no bodies.” Shaking his head, he glanced at all the books and notes Lacey had left on the table, “What about you? Got anything we can work with?”

Lacey shrugged half heartedly, reclaiming the seat she’d woken up in not half an hour earlier, “Pretty much the same as you. And it's not like we have a body to work with, so we don’t know what or who’s taking them,” propping an elbow on the table, Lacey planted her chin in her palm, she reached over, gathering the notepad in her small, unoccupied hand, “There’s not really an average time, one on his morning jog and another after dark, so its probably not vamps,” she winced at the word, trying to forget what Sam had told her about his and Dean’s last case together, “Its not full moon either, so there goes another theory. I thought witches, but there's still not a _why,"_ she sighed in frustration, "Its just……I feel like we’re just missing one thing to tie everything else together, that'll make everything make sense, but I don’t know what it is.”

“Yeah,” Sam sighed, raking his short nails over his 5 o’clock shadow, “I know what you mean. But,” he sat up straighter, his tone taking on a briskness, “I don’t think we’re gonna find anything right now, so maybe we should eat.” Reaching for one of the bags, he began unpacking a couple of takeaway boxes, “I didn’t know what you’d, so I got the usual; turkey club and fries,” he offered her the box, “And water instead of beer because….” He gestured to her still flat stomach.

“I know,” Lacey chuckled nervously, letting the smell of the food wash over her heightened sense of smell. Before they’d left the bunker, she hadn’t really been interested in much more than sulking in the bed, without the interruption of meal breaks, but as Lacey slowly came back into herself, she’d started to realize that she had to take care of the one of the last parts of Dean she had; their child, which meant taking better care of herself. “Thanks,” she began uncapping the bottle, taking a slow sip before setting it down and slowly thumbing the box open. 

As they ate, they lapsed into silence for a while, it was only when Miracle came nudging at their feet, making little begging noises and hoping to get bits from their dinner did Sam speak up. “It’s good to see you smile again,” he commented as Lacey fed the dog from her food, a fond soiree upturning her lips slightly. 

A sound of acknowledgement left her slightly parted lips before Lacey shook her head, swallowing thickly, “I know that one day I’m gonna have to move on, be happy again, for the baby……” She shrugged indifferently, “And for myself. But when I see her,” she gestured to Miracle, “And I think about how much you said she made him happy, even if it was just for a little while, it just…...it makes me feel good _now_ , that he had happiness. But then I remember that he’s gone and I just……I feel so guilty.”

Reaching for her free hand, “You’re not supposed to never move on, and it's not gonna hurt for the rest of your life. I know it's confusing and complicated, but it's okay to start learning to accept it.”

“That’s the thing; I haven’t. I don’t want to, and I don’t want to move on either because every time I close my eyes, I see him and I want him to be here when I open them and he’s not. _But he should be_ ,” turning her hand over she could hold his, Lacey met Sam’s dark stare, her eyes brimmed with grief, “Have you accepted it?”

Clenching his jaw and sniffling quietly, Sam shook his head stiffly and it wouldn’t take much to know that he was doing his best to not cry, “No. No, I haven’t, not yet.”

“But what if it never happens? What if it hurts forever?”

At her words, his expression fell further and Sam took a minute to think of his response, “Then we get through it together.”

He’d been tracing absent circles over her knuckles, though, Lacey hadn’t thought much of it. Chuckling sorrowfully, she tilted her head, letting her loose, brunette tresses curtain her face, “I don’t want you to stick around with me because you feel obligated to, I can take care of myself.”

“That’s not why I asked you to come,” Sam dismissed, adding quickly, probably without even thinking of it fully, “I promised Dean but-” Catching himself, he stopped before finishing the sentence, clearing his throat and pushing past his almost confession, “I mean, I want to, I’m gonna be an uncle after all,” he scoffed, averting his gaze and retracting his hand.

“You promised Dean what?” Lacey pressed, trying to meet his eyes, noting the guilt pulling at his tired features, “Sam, you can’t just say something like that and not finish it. What did you promise Dean?”

Abruptly, he stood busying himself with clearing up where he’d sat, “It doesn’t matter,” he avoided her completely, “It’s not important Lace-”

“It’s important to me,” she stood too, her chair dragging audibly on the aged wood floor, “Please,” she pleaded desperately, “Please just tell me.”

Licking his lips and pinching the bridge of his nose, Sam sighed heavily. Lacey was stubborn, and they both knew that she wouldn't be dropping the matter soon. “I promised Dean that I’d look after you…….both of you.” 

Her eyes went wide with realization and a gasped breath left her lips. Lacey’s cheeks felt hot and her throat was suddenly dry and she clutched the front of her sweater, somehow trying to hold herself up. “He knew…..?”

“Cas told him you were pregnant before he gave himself up to the Empty; he’d sensed it on you.”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lacey kept her eyes trained on the floor as she tried to come to terms with the new information, “He knew, and he chose to die anyway.”

“The rebar was lodged in his chest, we wouldn’t have made it to a hospital in time. It was gonna happen, it was just a matter when-”

“What about Jack?” She yelled, “He could have saved him, he would have if he knew that that's what he wanted! But you said it yourself, Dean accepted it, he didn’t want you to call anyone, he didn’t wanna come back. He knew that we’d need him and he left anyway!”

“You need to calm down,” Sam reasoned, trying to get closer to place his hands on her shoulders, but Lacey evaded, “It wasn’t like that-”

Snatching her coat off the foot of her bed, Lacey hurriedly shrugged it on, simultaneously shoving her feet into a nearby pair of chucks. “It was like that,” she turned brashly, her voice breaking pitifully, “And you kept it from me.” When Sam reached out again, she stepped back, pulling the door open. 

“Can we just talk about this?” Lacey was already halfway out the door, and the chilly night air had already started to seep through her jacket, but she was willing to brave the weather just for some time to clear her head and decide what she wanted to do next, “Please?”

Shaking her head, “I think we’ve talked enough,” she managed hoarsely, pulling the door shut behind her and walking briskly in hopes that Sam wouldn't try to follow. 

*******

The motel had been reduced to dim lights in the distance and the street was eerily vacant. Still, Lacey was too angry to turn around and head back, she felt betrayed, by both of them. And worst yet, she felt lost; how could have Dean loved her so much and still not want to do whatever it took to stay with her. Their life was tough and tiring, there wasn’t any doubt about it, but finally, there’d been the option to leave, to get out and do something different, something they actually wanted to.

_But could he have done it, really and completely left that part of himself behind?_

Lacey found that she was stunned, the internal question came out of nowhere and it only had her sinking deeper into thought. Leaving would be easy for her, it would always be easy because the only reason she ever learned how to hunt was because of Dean, so she could be with him without causing too much trouble. But killing monsters and living primarily on the road was all he and Sam knew. They were hunters in the truest sense of the word. _Maybe it wouldn’t have been as easy for him as she initially thought_.

Stopping, Lacey shivered at the temperate breeze that rustled the nearby trees, pulling her coat closer. For a moment, she tilted her head, gazing up at the sky and wondering if heaven really was up in the sky, and if it was, could he, by some strange miracle see her looking for him. “I miss you,” she hitched, casting the words out into the darkness, sniffling quietly. Gnawing on her lower lip, Lacey’s eyes slipped closed for only a handful of seconds, in that time, maybe because it was so quiet or maybe she was thinking so hard, but she could have sworn she heard Dean return; _I miss you too_ , his voice in the wind. 

Maybe she was mad at the wrong person. Maybe she was just mad because of all the fear that came with a new future, one vastly different from the one she'd lost hours in the think of night fantasizing about. _Raising a kid without a father. Living without the love of her life. Trying to find out where her life went from there._

Exhaling audibly, Lacey shook her head, turning on her heel to head back to the motel. Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she started off slowly, intent on making the stroll a leisurely one, when off the side, without the intervention of any wind, the foliage rustled, sounding almost as if there was a weight shifting it around. Startled, Lacey peered into the bushes, keeping a safe distance away, eventually passing the sound off as wildlife when she didn’t hear it again.

A little faster that time, she began walking again, only for whatever was in the bushes to start moving too, like it was following her and keeping in pace. “Fuck,” she breathed, drawing in a sharp breath and trying to outpace whatever was following her. It had been stupid to leave without her cellphone or gun, but she’d been so angry that they were the last things on her mind, and by then, Lacey was beginning to wonder if she’d even live to regret it.

In her pockets, Lacey’s fists were clenched and she was caught between running back to the motel and possibly putting Sam in danger and standing out there and trying to handle things without a weapon. Looking around the assess the situation, she took another hesitant step forward, trying to steady her heavy breaths before her fight or flight instinct kicked in without warning, screaming that she had to put self preservation over everything else as her feet hit the ground in a sprint back towards the motel.

Lacey could have sworn that she was mere second away from outrunning her predator, but as quickly as the thought came, it was replaced by the blood rushing to her ears as she was tackled, her head hitting the ground hard. Weakly, she tried to push the weight off her, but it was too heavy, and the last thing she saw before the endless darkness came was the twinkling lights dancing on the heavy navy cloak above.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam's hopes of Lacey's return are dwindling, but a lead may take him to her. Can he get to her in time?

His foot tapped against the hardwood anxiously and Sam’s fingers were interlocked so tightly that his knuckles had gone white. His perch on the chair he’d situated in the center of the small room offered the perfect view of the front door and the windows on either side of it, so he could see exactly when she got it. He should have gone after her, not let her leave alone, but he knew she needed time to cool off. He shouldn’t have kept such a big secret, he shouldn’t have gotten mad when she did, he _shouldn’t_ have done a lot of things. 

_He shouldn’t have let her go like that. On foot. No phone, no gun._

Every minute passed was another pebble added to his mountain of worry. Lacey had been gone for two hours by then, and it was nearing nine pm, she could be anywhere. She could be in danger. But still, Sam had restrained himself, reminding himself that she was probably just taking a long walk, trying to sort her thoughts and cool off.

_For two hours though?_

For possibly the tenth time that hour, Sam glanced at his watch, wincing at the time. “Fuck it,” he stood. As mad as they'd both been, he wasn’t gonna let something happen to her just because they’d had a fight. Grabbing his jacket, phone, gun and the keys to the Impala, Sam didn’t even bother with the lights and barely carved out a couple minutes to lock the door before jogging down to the parking lot. 

Expertly, he backed out of the spot, turning on to the barren road, barely illuminated by old street lamps, keeping his eyes peeled for even the slightest signs of Lacey on either side of the road, growing more and more worried and disappointed as more time went by without him spotting her. 

He was driving slowly, a death grip on the wheel and it wasn't too long before Sam was nearing the heart of the small town, turning around once he determined that it wasn't possible for her to get that far on foot. After he'd circled back, he had even thought of going back to the motel to see if she'd gone there, deciding that if there still wasn't any sign of her, he would actually give sweeping the quaint town that time a shot. But alas, Sam had only gotten probably half the way back to where they were staying, just where the establishment was now coming into sight, when a glimmer near the bushes lining the right side of the road caught his eye. He might have by passed it; it could have been anything from a coin to a candy wrapper, but there was just something about the twinkle that left him unsettled, prompting him to grab his gun and get out of the car. 

The little twinkle winked tauntingly as he stepped closer, though, it wasn't until he was crouched down in front of it did Sam realize what it really was. A ring, an all too familiar engagement ring. Picking it up, the delicate jewelry looked so small in his stocky fingers and Sam had to give it a hard look to make sure he was just fooling himself out of paranoia. It should have been on Lacey's finger, but it wasn't. 

His mind went a mile a minute trying to figure out why it would just be so carelessly discarded at the side of the road. She wouldn't just take it off and toss it, he knew her well enough. It must have fallen off, maybe while she was walking back. Or worse yet, in a struggle. 

"Lace? Lacey?" Sam called, angling his head so he could look into the forest without actually going in, but his efforts were to no avail. "Lacey?" He was louder that time, desperate for her response. “Shit,” he swore when there was nothing but the sound of wind ticking the trees and blowing past his ear was all he heard. Taking another look around to ensure she really wasn’t there, Sam secured the ring in his palm, opting to head back to the motel, hoping that by some good grace she’d just gone back there and simply dropped the it by accident on her way back. 

*******

Still dressed in the flannel and jeans he'd donned the night before after he’d showered to cool off when Lacey had stormed off, Sam roamed around the small town, looking around for any sign of her, or worse yet, any sign of where someone or something could be keeping her. Day had long broken, it was just past nine am and the streets had sidewalks were just starting to get a lot busier than they had been when he had first returned to the town in search of Lacey. 

After he’d gone to their motel room the night before, only to find that she wasn’t there, Sam had set off again, heading back to the town and checking most of the place’s abandoned buildings before day break and then combing stores, diners and other establishments when they opened. It was frustrating, searching with not much to go on all while worrying about if she was even still alive, but if Sam knew one thing for sure, it was that whatever had snatched the first three victims had probably taken Lacey too. It was the only theory that made sense. 

He was just about to pull open the front door of a small antiques boutique, just to ask a few questions and give the place a look around when his phone rang, causing him to stop for a minute to answer it. Much to his disappointment, it was an unsaved number and not Lacey. “Hello?” He sighed.

“Agent Jones? This is Detective Thompson, we spoke yesterday, about the kidnappings,” Sam remembered the older man well, he’d been eager to help a _‘federal officer’_ and had promised to call if there were any developments. For a second, Sam thought of dismissing him, but quickly reminded himself that any information that Thompson had might help him find Lacey. 

Yeah,” he added purpose to his tone, assuming the usual script, the one he’d spent years following to get through cases. “I remember. Found anything new?” 

“Sort of,” the man seemed uncomfortable with sharing the information over the phone and added shortly after, “There’s been a turn, I think you should come down here, we’re in the parking lot of Buddy’s Auto Shop, I’ll send you directions so you can find it easier.”

“Okay. Be there soon, thanks detective.” Hanging up not long after, Sam opened the text that came in, only to find that the auto shop was just a couple blocks over, and wouldn’t be more than a fifteen minute walk from where he was. Offering the car where it was parked a backwards glance and deciding that it was safe where he’d left it near the meter, he set off in long strides following the directions he’d been set. 

As it turned out, Buddy’s was at the edge of to the edge of the small town, with tall trees and thick bushes lining the furthest end of the small lot, which was currently dominated by police cars, a van from the coroner's office and a slew of personnel from the station, with barricades manned by officers in uniform preventing reporters from trying to get in. As Sam weaved through the crowd, he searched for Detective Thompson, eventually spotting the greying man among a couple other detectives near an area protected by yellow tape. 

“Detective Thompson?” Sam called, catching a glimpse of a body covered by a white tarp. His breath caught at the sight and his heart sped up. The person beneath looked small, probably around Lacey’s size and all of sudden it was like inexistent walls were caving in on him and his throat felt like it was closing up. The air around him was suffocating and hot while his hands went clammy. _It couldn’t be her, he couldn’t lose her too._

“Agent Jones,” it took a minute or two before Sam had realized that the detective had offered his hand. He was too busy staring at the covered body, his chest tight and as Thompson spoke, Sam felt like there was water in his ears, hampering him from hearing properly. “You okay agent?”

He felt a hand clap his shoulder and Sam tried to shake off his gnawing fear. The fear that he’d lost another person that he cared for deeply. The fear that he’d failed his brother. The fear that he had failed Lacey and the baby. _The fear that he was now all alone._

“Uh, yeah. Sorry. Long night,” Sam fibbed, rubbing a hand over his cheek before gesturing to the sheet, “Is that…..”

“That’s Belinda Scott, the kindergarten teacher. She was the first one reported missing, by her husband last week.” Thompson ducked under the tape and Sam followed suit, sighing in unspoken relief when the woman revealed was a stranger to him. At least that meant there was still time for him to find Lacey. "Coroner estimates that she died sometime last night but was dumped here early this morning before the shop opened. And she’s been-”

“Drained of all her blood.” The woman’s cold skin sported a pale, bluish tint and her lips and nails were stark white. But besides some dark spots favoring bruises that she might have gotten during a struggle, there were no signs of violence about her body. There wasn't even any blood on her clothes. _So **not** a vampire. _

"Yeah," Thompson confirmed. "Oh, and look at this," he crouched, encouraging Sam to follow him down as he gently held her face by her chin with gloved hands, turning it to the side to reveal a blue mark of a darker hue, like a blurry handprint at the side of her forehead. “There are other marks of the same color on her arms too. C.S.I tried dusting it off for a sample, but it's like it's part of her skin now. It might be our guy’s signature. And then there’s this,” finally he held one of the woman’s eyes opening, revealing that it had turned milky white, “The other one’s like that too.”

Vaguely, Sam could hear Thompson still talking, spit-balling ideas and trying to get his take on what it was. But he didn’t need to talk it over, he already knew;

_Djinn._

With a huff, Sam stood, putting the pieces together with ease, there was just one thing missing, though he thought he figured it out with just the right question. _Where?_ Lacey had been taken near the woods, late at night and then Belinda had been discarded before anyone could frequent the lot that morning, right where trees could provide quick cover. "Detective Thompson?" The man hummed in acknowledgement, "Are these woods connected to the ones leading out of the town?" 

"They are," he confirmed, not thinking much of the question.

"What's in them?" Sam inquired, already peering to see if he could catch a glimpse of anything past the trees. 

The detective shrugged, "Not much, a couple abandoned cabins maybe. Why?"

Sam shrugged, trying to avoid any of the detective’s possible attempts to insert himself, “Just a lead I wanna follow.” Already, he’d started walking off, headed towards the car, intent on driving back to the motel after making a pit stop at the local butcher’s. 

“Need any help?” Thompson called as he stalked off.

“No thanks,” Sam waved off briskly, “I got this.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lacey's reality isn't all that it seems and meanwhile, Sam sets out on his own to find her.

_Lacey didn’t think the air had ever smelt or even felt that clean, nor had the sun ever shone that brightly. The bright, warm rays pierced the clouds, the glare making her squint and placed a hand on her brow to shield her eyes as she walked down the sand dusted pathway back to the beach, where they’d laid out a picnic basket near the shore. In the distance, she could see Dean sprawled on the blanket, with Miracle sniffing around, happy to be playing in the sand. He was wearing sunglasses to guard his eyes and the shades coupled with the casual t-shirt and worn jeans made him seem more relaxed than she’d ever remembered him being. It was nice seeing him like that, without the weight of the world on his shoulders. He deserved every ounce of happiness in his life._

_“Took you long enough,” he beamed, sitting up and propping himself on his elbows as Lacey drew nearer. A gentle breeze led a wave to the shore and blew the skirt of her lively blue sundress against her thighs, “I missed you sweetheart,” Dean reached for her hand, pulling her down so she’d plop right into his lap and against his broad chest, making Lacey chuckle._

_“I haven’t even been gone that long,” she giggled after pecking his jaw, smiling wider at how his stubble tickled her lips. With a contented sigh, Lacey proceeded to burrow her face into his neck, reveling in the scent of cologne, letting the euphoria of his embrace suck her. It was strange, almost as she was just coming back to it for the first time in a while._

_Dismissing the odd sensation, Lacey snaked her arms around his mid, snuggling closer and letting her eyes slip closed. “Did you get it?” Dean inquired, just as she was letting her consciousness fade._

_Pulling back to toss him a curious glance, her brows knitted and Lacey frowned, “Get what?” That was odd, she could remember what she’d gone for. Or where she’d just come from. It doesn’t matter, a voice in her head urged, as long as you’re here with him, nothing else matters._

_“Nevermind,” he shook his head in dismissal, “So, I was thinking. We could go for a drive tomorrow, just you me and Miracle and Baby. It’ll be fun, we could take a walk through the farmers’ market, and have lunch at that little café you like in town, what do you think?”_

_Readjusting herself so she’d be sitting on her folded legs, Lacey contemplated his offer while trying to sort her thoughts. She couldn’t shake the gnawing thought that something was missing, something was important. Then it hit her. “What about our baby?” Absently, she laid her hand on her stomach. It was funny, she didn’t remember actually having the baby, but Lacey knew her child existed. The test in Jodie’s bathroom, being all excited to give Dean the news, it was real, she remembered it clearly._

_At the mention though, Dean frowned deeply, the little ‘v’ in the center of his forehead evident and he reached out to take her hand affectionately, giving her fingers a loving squeeze. “You can’t keep doing this Lace,” he sighed, shaking his head, “The baby’s gone, and I know its hard but-”_

_“What do you mean the baby’s gone?” Her breath caught in a panicked frenzy and Lacey’s eyes went wide and glassy._

_“Sweetheart, don't do this to yourself. It's been three years-"_

_"Three years?" Lacey scoffed loudly. That couldn't be right. She would have remembered that._

_"The point is," Dean reeled her in, holding her close and running a soothing hand over her hair, "We're trying now and I know it's not going the way we thought it would, but it's gonna work out eventually. Alright? Try not to get so worked up over this."_

_Nodding stiffly, she once again settled against his chest, attempting to push away her confusion surrounding the situation, telling herself that she’d just blocked it out because of the trauma around it. Shifting, Lacey felt Dean tighten his embrace and it wasn’t long before her mind was settling and she'd finally rationalized the whole thing enough to hide her sorrow. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly._

_“It’s okay,” Dean rubbed his hand up and down her arm, “It’s been hard for me too since the accident, I mean, sometimes I close my eyes and it’s like Sam’s still here with us.”_

_Once again, her heart quickened and a lump rose in her throat. Sucking in a breath at the realization that Sam was dead, Lacey knew she had to hide her shock, any more outbursts and Dean might think she was crazy. But why couldn’t she remember? “Yeah,” she managed, swallowing thickly, “I miss him too.”_

_Dean reached between them, taking gentle hold of her chin and titling her face upwards, “I know. But I’m always happy to know that I didn’t lose you too. I love you Lace.”_

_Smiling sadly, Lacey laid her palm on his cheek, her hand sliding back until she was threading her delicate fingers through his short hair, “I love you too,” arching up, she placed a chaste kiss on his lips, her arm looping around his neck when he deepened it, his tongue moving past the barrier of her teeth. His hands found her hips, steadying Lacey as she clumsily moved to straddle his thighs, her dress riding up to expose her smooth skin._

_“Why don’t we head home?” He mumbled, tearing his lips from hers, only to start peppering endearments along her jaw._

_“Okay,” her head lolled to the side and a breathless smile parted her lips, “It’s getting late anyways.”_

_Almost tripping over each other, the pair stood, reluctantly parting so they could pack up their things. Through it all though, Dean had found every reason to get closer; caressing her side when she bent to pack up the basket and kissing her sweetly as they folded the checkered blanket. Noticing they were ready to leave, Miracle started bounding back up the path, knowing her way to their beachside cottage so well that she couldn’t even bother to wait._

_As they walked, Lacey interlocked her fingers with Dean’s, pressing her head to his bicep as they walked, easily sinking into the comfort that his presence always brought. Being with him always felt right, even if everything felt foreign, he was the one constant that made it all okay. “I’m glad I’m here with you,” she offered softly as they approached a quaint blue Victorian cottage, with yellow sand blown on the worn, wooden front steps and windchimes handing before the front door, making melodic noises with every breeze._

_“I’m glad you’re here with me too, Lace,” she furrowed her brows at his choice of words, finding them, for some reason, unbeknownst to her, a little strange though trying to brush it off quickly so she could get back to her blissful existence._

*******

Sam thought he’d probably walked most of the woods, going deeper and deeper until he’d reached so far in that he could no longer catch little glimpses of the road if he turned around. But his searches had been to no avail, the area, with the exception of wildlife, was unassuming. He had only come across one cabin and it was abandoned, probably for years with dust clouding the windows and bushes almost completely blocking the only door. He’d known that the chances of djinns hiding out in there was slim, it was a small cabin with not a lot of space to keep bodies and definitely no where to hide, yet still, Sam had checked anyway, slumping his shoulders when there was no sign of Lacey. 

He trekked further and further, almost ready to give up and start looking elsewhere when he heard the sounds of running water up ahead and could have sworn that he could see bits of a large building between the trees. With a reinvigorated urgency, Sam put more haste in his steps, jogging towards the building and following the sounds until the foliage cleared for what looked like an old sugar mill. The paint on the exterior was flaking off in massive sections, revealing dirty concrete walls, and the metal fixings were discolored and rusted and the building looked unhampered, giving off the impression that it was empty. That was, until he’d made it around to the front, finding footsteps in the mud and the way to the door bare of any grass, cleared out from use. 

Taking a deep breath, Sam reached for the silver blade he’d brought along, dipped in lamb’s blood before he’d left the security of the car. Holding it offensively as he nudged the door open and took a cautious step in. He tried to not even make the slightest sound as he toed further inside, his eyes darting around to find any signs of a djinn. Sunlight coming through holes on the high ceiling illuminated the large space and just as he was turning to see what was to his left, Sam thought he saw some movement from the raised platform ahead, but by the time he’d looked, it was over.

Tightening his grip on the hilt of the blade, he pressed forward, keeping his guard up. The space eventually broke off into a hall tucked between the wall and a set of old metal stairs, and with the aid of a flashlight to chase the dimness, Sam hurried through it; the last thing he needed was to be ambushed in such a small space. The corridor eventually opened out into another sizeable area, that one dimmer with old equipment scattered around and large posts dominating the floor, it was a mess, but the ruins were the last thing on his mind, for the first time Sam noticed upon his entrance was three people, all out cold on the floor. And it might have been a bit selfish, the the only one he was truly concerned about, the one he rushed to first without thinking, was the girl nearest to the wall, her skin pale from blood loss, her dark hair strewn across her face, skewing her beauty and her formerly crème sweater now dirty. _Lacey_. 

Gasping her name, he momentarily forgot that he should have been paying closer attention and rushed to her, easily scooping the upper half of her body into his lap as he sank to his knees. Her lips were chapped and there was a gash on her head, probably from when she’d been ambushed, but otherwise, she simply looked as if she were asleep, and not being slowly poisoned and drained to death. 

Holding her to him, Sam gently tried to shake her awake, “Lacey,” he urged, not paying any mind to anything else, “Lacey, you have to wake up,” he crouched down near her ear, hoping the message would get to her, where she was, “Whatever you’re seeing, wherever you are, it’s not real you need to-” Before he could finish, something was flinging him across the room, knocking the wind out of him as his back hit the wall, _hard_. 

In an instant the djinn was approaching him, ready to deliver his second attack, when, with practiced swiftness, Sam drew his gun and hastily lined up a couple shots, hitting the tattooed monster once in the center of his chest and then again nearer to his shoulder. It wasn’t enough to kill him, but it did slow him down enough for Sam to snatch up the blade he’d dropped, so he could scramble up in time to stab the djinn, killing him. 

Though, by his luck, that wasn’t near the end of it and from the corridor, ran two more, ready to fight. As they advanced, Sam assessed the situation, eventually moving on pure instinct, evading their poison touches and shoving them away with packed punches until he could stab the larger one with the same blade he’d used to kill the first. By the time it was down to the last djinn, he could feel the tire wearing down his muscles, the only thing keeping him going was his desire to get Lacey out of there alive. He wasn’t going to fail Dean, and he certainly wasn’t going to fail his future niece or nephew. 

Rolling a kink out of his shoulder, Sam winced at the pain, clenching his fist and narrowly dodging the djinn that tried to run into him, that time ensuring that he wouldn’t drop the blade under any circumstances. The djinn, the apparent leader of the other too was almost as tall as he was, with rippling muscles constrained in what was left of an old shirt. Twice more, he lunged at him, the second time causing Sam to lose his footing, barely saving himself from falling to the floor when he stumbled into one of the concrete posts. 

Righting himself, Sam reached to stab the djinn, groaning in frustration when he missed, evading a retaliative blow. Barring his teeth angrily, he tried again, that time only getting him in the arm, which was good, but wouldn’t kill him fast enough. At least he’d slowed down though.

Out of breath and with a sleepless night weighing him down, Sam tried to maintain momentum. It was hard, but his motivator was more than enough. His next attempt ended up being his final one, as he drove the blade deep into the burly djinn’s chest, taking Sam with him to the ground as he fell, dry, cracked hands trying to pull it out just before they went limp. 

A strained sound between a cough and a sound between a dry cough and a heaving breath broke Sam’s lips as he clumsily returned to Lacey’s side, once again trying to get her to wake up. He would deal with the others, but right then, his priority was Lacey.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Lacey's new and unfamiliar reality crumbles, Sam awaits her on the other side of consciousness.

**Chapter 6**

_As she hummed one of her favorite seventies songs, Lacey slowly chopped the herbs she needed to make dinner. Dean hadn’t come in for spending most of the day working on Baby, but she didn’t mind, he would never miss having dinner with her and the sun was about to set anyways, so he’d be in soon. After the evening at the beach things had smoothed out a bit though, there were still things that Lacey would get confused about now and again, but she’d brushed it off and hadn’t mentioned it to Dean, not wanting to upset him._

_Just as the thought fled, a pair of strong arms snaking around her waist had Lacey jumping in surprise. Behind her, Dean chuckled lowly, pressing a kiss to her hair, “Sorry babygirl,” he gave her an affectionate squeeze before resting his chin on the top of her head. The size difference between them never failed to thrill her, and she could tell that Dean enjoyed it too, always reminding her that it was cute that he had to help her get things off higher shelves. “What’re you making?”_

_Sighing contentedly, Lacey relaxed against Dean’s chest, “I was thinking spaghetti and meatballs, but if you want something else, it’s still early enough for me to switch it up.”_

_“Spaghetti sounds great,” he smiled, nuzzling closer, surly getting car grease all over the back of her t-shirt and shorts. “You’re an amazing cook, you know that, right?”_

_“Ohh,” she giggled, “Flattery will get you everywhere Mr. Winchester.”_

_“Is that so, Mrs. Winchester?” Dean kissed the side of her head again, nuzzling her hair and breathed the scent of her shampoo._

_“It is,” Lacey agreed, “But right now I’d hope it’d take you to get cleaned up so I can finish this.” Sliding some parsley off the board and into a little ceramic bowl, she reached for a couple branches of thyme, getting started on that._

_“Yes ma’am,” as he untangled himself from around her, he playfully slapped her butt, earning himself a surprised squeal, “I’ll come help you when I’m done,” he began sauntering off, “But don’t miss me too much while I’m gone,” he jeered lightly._

_“I’ll try not too,” Lacey laughed, shaking her head as his steps receded._

*******

The antidote for djinn poison had worked on the two other victims, but not on Lacey and Sam suspected that it was because she was far too deep in whatever delusion they’d put her in to get out. He’d wanted to try to go in and find her himself, the way Dean had once done it with Charlie, but Jodie had had deterred him, arguing that if they both got stuck in a state of unconsciousness, it wouldn’t be good for anyone. Besides, he needed to be out there, in the waking world, communicating with Lacey’s doctors.

He’d taken her to the hospital to get her checked overrunning tests from anything that might be scientifically related, and nothing actually related, though, he supposed that he couldn’t tell the doctors Lacey had been poisoned by a supernatural creature with the intention of siphoning her blood. On the night Sam had brought her in, frenzied, unsure of what else he could do to help her and with her limp frame cradled in his arms, they had also hooked her up to a heart monitor as well as an IV. Thankfully, she was still breathing on her own, negating any need for more equipment. One of that doctors had even checked on the baby, and Sam had breathed a heavy sigh of relief when they found the heartbeat after what felt like forever spent searching. Though, it wasn’t enough to drown the tremendous guilt eating at him, not just for being part of the reason she was out there, but also because he was the first person to hear the heartbeat and see the little, grainy image on the screen. His brother should have been there instead, and Lacey should have been awake to see her baby for the first time. 

After the dust had settled and the doctors had lessened the buzzing around her room, Sam had stationed himself at Lacey’s side, maintaining a tight hold on the hand nearest to him. Sometimes he’d fall asleep, others he’d leave for a short while, for bathroom breaks or to freshen up, but never did he dare to leave the hospital, or even the floor she was warded on. On the first night, after he’d gone just over twenty four hours without eating or sleeping, Sam had gone to the vending machines to buy himself a makeshift dinner, and noticing his plight, the next day, one of Lacey’s nurses had brought him something from the cafeteria, even trying to convince him that she would be in good hands if he left for a couple hours to get some time for himself. But he was having none of it, and that very sweet nurse had started bringing him meals, coffee and water from the cafeteria and would offer to sit with Lacey if he had to leave the room for more than fifteen minutes.

That had started two weeks ago. He could hardly believe it; it had been two weeks since his and Lacey’s fight, two weeks since she’d been poisoned by the djinn and two weeks since she had been largely unresponsive, save for the occasional twitch of her fingers and flutter of her lashes, which the doctors had stressed was normal for unresponsive patients. Still, after two week, even with his hope ebbing away day by day and the fear that Lacey was gone forever eating at him, Sam stayed by her side. Because after everything, he couldn’t lose her too. 

Part of him screamed that he was overstepping, that he had attached himself to Lacey in a way that wasn’t right; he was so absorbed with her situation that the staff had mistaken him for her husband or fiancée, especially after he’d been caught slipping the ring back onto her finger. And maybe it was wrong, but Sam hadn’t corrected them. 

It was innocent though, he had assured himself of that much. He would never undermine Dean’s relationship with Lacey like that, no matter what his feelings were at the very beginning. There was no doubt that he cared for her, that he would always care for her, but there was nothing more than friendship between them.

That night, it had been raining, the weather had actually been pretty much the same all day, yet still, whoever was in charge of the air conditioning hadn’t bothered to make any adjustments and so, by the time it was dark, the entire floor was sporting a brisk chill. As he’d pulled on his jacket, Sam had glanced at Lacey lying in bed, completely unaware of everything going on around her, and he wondered if she was cold too, eventually successfully petitioning for her to get another blanket, just in case. 

After he’d draped the blanket over her, Sam had reclaimed his seat, taking her smaller hand in one of his calloused ones, using the other to caress her hair, careful to avoid where there were covered stiches on her forehead. That was anther thing he was worried about, the concussion she might have gotten from hitting her head when the djinns got her. His unrelenting gaze stayed trained on her serene features, keeping close watch for even the most minor change in her condition. Altogether, Dean had been gone for a few days less than a month, and Sam was beginning to think that, already he’d let down his older brother. Everyday that Lacey stayed under the djinn’s spell was another that she’d drift further into unconscious, worse yet, he couldn't recall ever coming across a case where someone had stayed under that long. Even if she did wake, would she be the same? 

“Come on Lace,” he whispered, leaning forward so he’d be close to her ear, “You’ve gotta wake up, for Dean, for the baby, for yourself……” He hesitated, wondering if the words would ever get through to her, “ _For me._ Wake up Lacey.” Tracing absent circles on the back of her hand, the hope that she’d finally wake up was dwindling as quickly as he’d built it up.

But then, it happened and maybe by then he should have gotten used to the little, almost unnoticeable, restless movements of her muscles, but that time, Sam was almost positive that it was different when he felt her ever so slightly, squeeze his hand. The sound of the legs of the chair dragging on the floor was muffled by the carpet, as he scooted even closer and then was when he heard it; the sharp breath that she drew in, just as Lacey’s lashes fluttered open.

*******

_Something was wrong, and the voice in her head that had been saying so since that day at the beach was getting hard to ignore. Too many things didn’t add up, there was too much that she didn’t know, but should have. Lacey, had brushed it off for as long as she could, she’d done it because she’d have done anything to be with Dean, to live the life she’d always wanted with him, the one he’d promised her after proposing, but at some point, she had started to realize that there was something beneath the glamor, something sinister._

_That night, the worries had kept her up while Dean laid sleeping next to her and when the thoughts grew too loud, Lacey had weaned herself out of his sleepy embrace, swiping up a silky robe formerly discarded on an accent chair near the bay window in the bedroom before heading for the door. On her way down the steps, she slowed down to look at the pictures hung stylishly on the wall, illuminated by the moonlight filtering in from the living room windows, where they had left the curtains opened. The images mounted to the cool grey wall told so many stories, or at least they should have; there were birthdays, a holiday party and some taken down at the beach. In a wedding photo, Sam stood with them, next to Dean and Lacey could make out the slightest bump, barely noticeable under her simple, white, tea length dress. That must have been before the accident Dean had mentioned. Still though, it was all foreign to her, everything from the photo of them leaned against the hood of the Impala to another of her and Dean kissing under a flower adored canopy set up on the sand._

_Lingering for a moment more, Lacey eventually continued down the stairs, worrying on her lower lip and keeping her head down until she had unconsciously led herself out to the patio. When a chill ran through her, she shuddered, opting to grab the varnished wooden railing near the front steps. In the distance, just down a gentle slope lined with wild grass, she could make out the yellow hued harvest moon reflecting on the dark, bottomless waters. The salty aroma washed her senses like the white foam of the crashing waves washed the shore and as Lacey stood there, emptying her head, she got the distinct feeling that she was seeing it all for the last time._

_Maybe it was all just a dream._

_“A dream…….?” She muttered softly, a sharp pain rushing to her head immediately after the utterance left her lips, causing her to press her palm to her temple. The pain could have only been described as the result of smashing her head against a hard surface and when she pulled her hand away, there was blood on it, the darkness making the warm liquid look almost black._

_“What are you doing down here?” Dean’s voice calling out to her from behind startled Lacey and she jumped. When she turned, she found that he’d thrown on a t-shirt to join the sweats he’d worn to bed when retiring to bed earlier. “It's late and……..” He trailed off, squinting and drawing closer before gasping as he reached out to cup her cheek, gently tilting her head to the side, “Jesus Lace, what the hell is this? What happened? Did you fall or something?”_

_Shaking her head and flinching away from Dean, Lacey knitted her brows, “No….I actually don’t know. I was just standing here and it….it just….” She shook her shoulders, unable to explain the process in a way that made sense. “I don’t know what happened.”_

_“Babe, this looks pretty bad, you might need stitches,” Dean took hold of her face again and continued examining the wound, worry painting his face, “Did you go down to the beach, maybe trip over something?”_

_“No, nothing like that,” that time, Lacey pushed his hands away, the gesture without any haste, and she tried to put some distance between herself and Dean. She leaned against the railing to steady herself as she sorted her thoughts, still feeling the slow trickle of blood down the side of her face, “I just…..I don’t think this is real,” she offered in one go, lifting her gaze to try to meet his._

_Shaking his head, Dean reached out, but Lacey side stepped to evade, “Lace, sweetheart, you need to tell me what’s going on, please. I don’t understand what’s going on.”_

_“I don’t understand either,” pushing her hair out of her face and wincing at the pain. Memories seemed to be coming to her all at once, so jumbled that she couldn’t really make sense of them. They all told her one thing though; that wasn’t her life. “But I do know that this isn’t real, it can’t be.”_

_“Why not?” Dean urged, “You’re happy here, aren’t you? Let’s just get that cut taken care of and we can go back to bed. Forget all of this,” he slumped his shoulders when her stance never wavered, “Don’t you want to be with me?”_

_His words had her eyes going wider and Lacey’s jaw hung slack. Finally, after what felt like weeks of confusion, the truth dawned on her, all because of a couple out of character words said in desperation. “Of course I want to be with you,” her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper and with stunning quickness, the pain in her head dissipated, a reward for coming to her senses, “But Dean……you’re…” Her breath hitched and it was killing to even let the words leave her lips. It was because Lacey knew all too well that saying it would make it real and if it was real, she’d have to accept that all the time she’d been spending with him wasn’t. But she had to, else she’d be stuck living a lie forever. “You’re dead,” a heaving sob escaped her lips and her lungs felt like they’d been set ablaze. “This is a dream-"_

_"What are you talking about? Baby-"_

_"Stop!" Lacey cut him off with a pleading yell. "Just stop," once again her voice dropped, "This isn't real; it's a dream. And you're not the Dean that I know," swallowing thickly, Lacey put a hand to her chest, "Because my Dean would have wanted me to wake up.”_

_Licking his lips, Dean smiled sorrowfully, finally dropping the notion of trying to convince that of otherwise and titling his head to the side, “Then wake up Lacey.”_


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's past is passed, right?

_Then wake up Lacey_

It was a struggle to open her eyes, but from the minute she got a slight glimpse of the dancing lights seeping past the tiny split of her lids, Lacey tried to take a deep breath. For a solid minute, she laid there, trying to move, but all she could manage squeezing the hand that held hers. It was vaguely familiar, and just for a second, she thought it was Dean, until memory caught up to her, reminding Lacey of the lifelike dream that she’d just chased off and everything before that. 

Her mouth was dry, like she’d just spat out a fistful of cotton and gathering her thoughts was a trying feat. But the one thing she managed, though brief, was to offer the person whose hand she held immense relief. “Sam….” Lacey wheezed, their hands were still joined as he came to stand over her, pressing a quick, chaste kiss to her forehead. Through her blurry vision, she could have sworn she saw him smile and she wasn’t sure if it was because of that, or everything else, but a lone tear trickled out of the corner of her eye, drying before it could reach her hair. 

*******

_One week Later_  
When Jodie pulled the door open, she immediately leaned in to hug Lacey, “I’m so glad you’re okay.” The embrace lingered and Lacey held her tight, rubbing her hand up and down Jodie’s back, unspeakably grateful that one thing had stayed the same, at least it felt the same, right then and there. “I was so worried,” she frowned and after she’d hugged Sam too, “And I’m so sorry about Dean,” she touched their faces after pulling away.

“Thanks,” Sam was the one to speak up, “It’s hard, but we’re getting through it,” he glanced at Lacey, “Together.”

Nodding, Lacey agreed, “Yeah. And, uh, thanks for letting us crash here, I promise it won’t be for too long though-”

“Oh please,” Jodie waved her off, ushering them further into their house and relieving Lacey of the only bag she held, “You know you’re both always welcome here. Stay as long as you need.” As they reached the end of the hall, Sam took her things, headed to leave them in the guest room, while Miracle started wandering around, eager to explore the new territory, leaving Jodie and Lacey alone in the kitchen. “So,” he broached tentatively, “How are you holding up? You’ve been through a lot this past month. I gotta say, when Sam called and said you were in the hospital, and that you weren't waking up, I thought we’d lost you too,” she looked over her shoulder, ensuring that he wasn’t near before adding, “I was worried, for both of you, I don’t think he could handle it if he lost you too. And you mean so much to all of us here too.”

Scoffing a dry, humorless chuckle, Lacey tried to smile, only managing something that almost bordered a frown. After she’d woken up, Sam had hovered more than he had before and she could tell he cared, but it was in an awkward way; getting really close before pulling away altogether, only to repeat the process. “I’m sure he would have been fine; he has you.”

“But he _needs_ you,” Jodie corrected, “You two need each other, you were both close to Dean, his death is taking its toll, but always remember that you can find comfort in someone that you can share the best parts of him with; the memories, that baby.”

The silence shared between them after that was a lengthy one, and after it had drawn on to the point of growing uncomfortable, Lacey decided it was time to change the topic. Or at least, take it somewhere a bit lighter. “Oh,” she took a deep breath, forcing a smile, trying to ignore the sting in her heart as she reached into her back pocket for her phone, “I wanna show you something.” Unlocking the screen, Lacey went into the gallery, tapping on the first picture; one the hospital had sent her just before she was discharged the day before. When they were huddled close enough, she showed the image to Jodie, who gasped audibly, “The doctor said that I’m about thirteen weeks along.”

“Look at that little baby,” she cooed, holding Lacey in a sideways hug, “I know it's hard being happy right now,” Jodie said when she didn’t reciprocate, instead blinking away burning tears, “But this kid is part of him, and they’re gonna make it so much easier one day. It's not today, or tomorrow, but one day you’re gonna look at ‘em and realize that Dean isn’t as far away from you as you'd thought.”

Her words had Lacey tearing up and she sniffled, trying to hold back the flood of emotion that threatened to break through. “Thanks,” Lacey swiped at her eyes, sliding her phone to the kitchen counter, pulling Jodie into a proper hug, quiet tears racing down her cheeks as she buried her face in Jodie’s neck. As they parted, Sam entered the room, clearing his throat awkwardly as he stood in the arched threshold, hands stuffed into his pockets.

“Hey,” he began, and then when Lacey turned and he noticed the slight redness around her eyes and the drying tears on her cheeks, he frowned, “What’s wrong?” His brows knitted and worry pinched his features, “Did something happen, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lacey waved him off, taking a deep breath and trying to hide how flustered she was by his proximity. It never used to be like that, she was never affected, in any way, by Sam’s presence. He was a friend, they traded jokes and had each other’s backs on hunts. They were comfortable around each other, and in her six years with Dean, not once had Lacy felt anything but ease around Sam. Not once until after she’d woken up at the hospital. “Uh….I was showing Jodie the ultrasound.”

“Right, yeah, okay,” San shook off whatever he’d been feeling, “Sorry-”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she waved dismissively, “It's fine,” Lacey shrugged, trying to swallow down the feeling that came with Sam’s stare lingering on her. 

Nodding hesitantly, he mulled on his words for a moment more, as if he were assessing his behavior himself. He was about to speak again, she thought, but apparently picking up on the weird energy swirling around the room, Jodie interrupted, “Sam, why don’t you help me finish up dinner while Lacey settles in.”

Stuttering, Lacey shook her head, “I can help too-”

“No, its okay,” Jodie cast a glance that said she wanted a couple minutes with Sam, adding, “You go ahead, we won’t be long.”

*******

“So……?”

Jodie had just handed him a head of lettuce, fully expecting him to know how to deal with it as she carried on with getting some plates out of a cupboard over the granite counter. Picking at the leaves of top, Sam continued trying to work his way through the task at hand, knitting his brows at her words, “So what?” He returned absently.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noted the way she shook her head slightly as Jodie huffed a dry chuckle, “So, is there something going on between you and Lacey?”

Her question stunned him and Sam’s head snapped up and he grew defensive almost immediately after the inquiry reached his ears. Of course, the way things looked, he could understand how….well, _anyone_ might gather that they were more than friends, but that wouldn’t change the fact that they were _just_ friends. “No,” he scoffed defensively, licking his lips, “It’s been,-” _no, definitely not a good answer_ ; it didn’t matter how long it had been since Dean was gone; weeks, months, years, Lacey would always be off limits. “It’s not like that. We’re friends, Dean asked me to look out for her and the baby, so that's what I'm doing,” he shrugged.

Setting the plates down on the counter beside her, Jodie moved to lean near the sink, folding her arms across her chest. Something about her stance told Sam that it didn’t matter what he said next, she’d see right through it. “And that’s the only reason, because Dean asked you to?”

“Of course not,” he sighed, monetarily taking a break from picking at the healthy green leaves to worry about his thoughts. The truth was, despite his inner turmoil, Sam didn’t really know what he was feeling. Having Lacey around made him feel better, but feeling better made him feel guilty and in the end, feeling guilty always reminded him just how much it hurt to carry on without Dean. It was a vicious cycle, repeating itself over and over, eating away a little part of him every time he went through it. “She’s my friend, I’d stick with her even if Dean hadn’t asked me to.”

Lifting a brow, Jodie tilted her head curiously, “And that's all?”

“That’s all,” Sam confirmed, though as they continued to stand there, her challenging stare didn’t waver all while the minutes ticked on, the worry that she might figure the truth out on her on pushing him over the edge, words spilling out of his mouth faster than he could catch them; “I had feelings for her, when she first joined us. But she came along for Dean and they made each other happy so I…..” Sam shrugged half heartedly, “I just let it go.”

Nodding slowly, Jodie elicited a quiet, intrigued hum, “You just….let go of feelings that you had for another person, just like that?”

“Well maybe not _let go_ ,” more like harbored until a couple years had passed and he had successfully buried them down, like every unfortunate sucker from a rom com about unrequited love. “It bothered me for a while,” he averted his gaze, feeling guilty for admitting it, “But I got over it eventually, they were happy. And they were good together,” he chuckled humorlessly as stinging moisture gathered in his eyes, all sorts of memories of his brother just sneaking up on him. “They were _great_ together,” Sam sniffed quietly. They _were_ great together; Dean and Lacey. Sam didn’t think he’d ever see his older brother fall so hard for someone, but then she came along, a masters student from Chicago, completely unsuspecting of the two men, claiming to be FBI agents, sniffing around her school. 

_It could have been just yesterday, but it was six years ago._

When they traded silence for a while, Sam spoke again, "But it was a long time ago. I'm past that now and Lace doesn't have to know." The words were meant to reassure Jodie that he wouldn't let grief take shape and turn into something else, but deep down, Sam couldn't help but worry that the only person in need of reassurance was him.


End file.
